Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 1 /Trend E. Ismailov/
New generation drilling rig of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will be ready by late 2015-early 2016, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev told journalists on Tuesday.
According to him, works for construction of the drilling rig have been commenced at company's new shipyard.
At the same time works on the project of building a second rig are being carried out, and a final decision on this issue is expected to be taken till late 2013, Abdullayev said.
SOCAR President noted that Azerbaijan is experiencing a need in four new rigs for carrying out works at the existing fields, as well as for the development of prospective structures.
Referring to the issue of placing orders for the construction of ships at the new shipyard, the head of SOCAR said that the company already has orders from SOCAR and BP within the frameworks of development of Shah Deniz and Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields, as well as from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The shipyard is also working on projects of new ships in order to start their construction in 2014.